Toyota, Anheuser-busch Join Boycott Of Pga Meet

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — Toyota and Anheuser-Busch joined IBM on Wednesday in canceling plans to run television ads during next month`s PGA Championship at the all-white Shoal Creek country club.

Toyota and IBM officials said they were pulling advertising from the ABC and ESPN telecasts because of racial exclusion in the membership of the Shoal Creek club. Anheuser-Busch did not give a reason for dropping its ads during the tournament, Aug. 9-12.

The cancellation of TV ads by major corporations came as Birmingham`s black mayor, Richard Arrington, took the role of racial peacemaker in hopes of avoiding protests, opening up Shoal Creek to black members and making clear Birmingham has become racially progressive in the past two decades.

Arrington said a letter he received Tuesday from Shoal Creek officials convinced him the club, located in Shelby County near Birmingham, soon will accept black members.

``It`s a positive step,`` he said.

Meanwhile, a local black leader who had called for picketing of the country club said he believed the protests could be averted if the club accepted Arrington as a member.